I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Regarding your 'rebellious disciple'... does Tachibana-kun know the details?"

The Kiryu boss replied calmly:

I haven't told him yet.

Goro Komaki raised an eyebrow and pressed for an answer:

"Why not tell him? After all, they are 'fellow disciples', right? If so, Tachibana-kun should have the right to know everything."

Mr. Kiryu gave a wry smile.

"I will tell Tachibana-kun."

"However... now is not the time."

"Qinjin Prefecture is in its early stages of establishment, and Qingdeng is currently overwhelmed with many matters."

"He not only had to oversee the construction of the Hatajin Domain, but also maintain the development of the Shinsengumi, and also had to spare some energy to take care of the Hachioji Senjin Doshin, who was far away in Kanto."

“I don’t want my old grudges with ‘him’ to distract Tachibana-kun from his precious energy.”

"When the time comes in the future, I will tell Tachibana-kun everything about my love and hatred with 'him'."

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu handed the wine glass in his hand to Goro Komaki.

"Alright, let's stop talking about these unpleasant and mood-ruining things. It's such a joyous occasion; wouldn't it be a waste not to enjoy it to the fullest?"

Looking at the wine glass handed to him, Komaki Goro looked helpless, and then raised his own wine glass.

With a crisp clang, the two wine glasses lightly touched together.

"Thank you for gracing our beloved disciple's wedding. Your presence truly brings honor to the entire shrine."

As he spoke, Mr. Kiryu adopted a half-smile.

Komaki Goro raised his hand and lightly patted his chest, saying in an annoyed tone:

"Seriously, don't give me that."

Mr. Kiryu spread his hands with an innocent expression.

"I'm serious. Looking around this entire place, are there any guests more distinguished than you?"

"As you can see, my husband and I are just the owners of a Japanese confectionery shop now."

As he spoke, Goro Komaki showed Kiryu's hands, which smelled faintly of flour.

"Speaking of which... the wedding vows that Tachibana-kun just recited sounded so familiar to me—they were exactly the same as the vows I recited at my own wedding. Kuro, aren't you being a bit too lazy?"

Meeting Goro Komaki's gaze, which was half amused and half reproachful, Kiryu adjusted his glasses and smiled.

"How can you blame me? Wedding vows are all pretty much the same; no matter how you write them, you can't come up with anything fancy."

"However... thanks to your reminder, I now realize that in my short life, I have actually written wedding vows for two great swordsmen who have gone down in history."

"Hehehe, I guess I'm one of a kind in the world."

……

……

Qingdeng chased after Yae's figure, heading straight for a corner of the banquet hall.

Along the way, he kept encountering familiar relatives and friends.

They were either eating quietly (Saito Hajime) or busy socializing (Yamaminami Keisuke).

There were also some people who thoroughly enjoyed the banquet.

The scene was truly a spectacle of "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their unique abilities"...

……

"Hmph~~Hmph hmph hmph~~Hmph hmph~~"

Shinpachi Nagakura, who loves to dance, started dancing in public after getting drunk, humming off-key to the beat. His dance was full of emotion but lacked any skill whatsoever.

……

"Look, everyone! This is my fist, isn't it enormous? Now, all of you, open your eyes wide and watch closely! I'm going to put my fist into my mouth!"

After saying that, Kondo Isami lowered his raised fist, opened his mouth wide, and slowly put his fist into his mouth under the eager gaze of the onlookers.

Instantly, cheers erupted, creating a lively atmosphere.

Putting his fist in his mouth—this was one of Kondo Isami's signature moves.

Kondo is known for having a big mouth.

Whenever he yawns, his enormous mouth, stretched to its limit, reminds Qing Deng of an eel.

He was very strong, and his fists were as big as casseroles.

However, he was able to fit his fist completely into his mouth with some space still remaining.

It must be said that this is a rare talent.

……

"Do you know how I got this scar on my stomach? When I was still a junior officer in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, some scoundrel called me a 'lowly official who didn't even know the etiquette of seppuku.' I was so angry that I decided to commit seppuku on the spot to show him. Look! This is the scar left after I committed seppuku!"

Qing Deng didn't even need to look; just by listening to the voice, he knew it was Harada Sanosuke showing off the scar on his stomach again.

……

"My name is Hijikata Toshizo. What's your name? Where are you from?"

Hijikata Toshizo, without any stage fright, casually sat down next to the girl.

"I... my name is Henan Caijia... I'm from Oyu..."

The girl was startled by Hijikata Toshizo's sudden appearance and close approach, but her eyes were filled with longing as she stared intently at his handsome face.

"Henan Caijia... What a lovely name! Your hands are so small, and you're so much whiter than mine! I've heard that people from Oyu have very soft hands. You smell so good, and your hands are so cool. You're so cute. Let's compare the size of your hands. Your hair smells so good, and your eyes are so beautiful. Can you drink alcohol?"

As expected, Hijikata Toshizo is expanding his "fishpond" again.

……

"Miss Leroy, what is 'wedding night'?"

Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes, looking at the maid Leroy beside her with curiosity.

As soon as she asked the question, her grandfather Anthony and her maid Leroy, who were sitting on either side of her, both looked embarrassed.

The Angoulême family had a very close relationship with Chingden, so it was impossible for them to miss Chingden's wedding.

The number of guests visiting now is in the thousands, coming from all over the world, a mixed bag. It is not surprising that a few extreme individuals who are extremely hostile to Westerners have infiltrated the area.

Therefore, to avoid trouble, the entire Angoulême family wore headscarves and face coverings to conceal their blond hair, blue eyes, and striking features.

Elodie's eyes were pure, without a trace of evil, much like the clear sky after a rain.

It's clear that Anthony and Leroy protected her very well.

Even though he's almost 16, he still knows nothing about things between men and women.

Leroy hesitated for a moment, then looked at Anthony with a pleading gaze.

However, Anthony turned his head away, raised his gaze, and looked into the distance, as if to say, "I don't know anything" and "It has nothing to do with me."

Seeing this, Leroy could only grit his teeth—

"Well... to put it simply, it's..."

She leaned down, pressed her lips close to Elodie's ear, and began to whisper in her ear.

When Leroy straightened up again, Elodie's face flushed red, her eyes widened, a mixture of shock, shyness, and other emotions on her cheeks, as if she had discovered some incredible secret.

"Ugh...! Master is such a pervert..."

Qingdeng: "???"

To be inexplicably called a "pervert" by his beloved student... Qing Deng felt both confused and hurt.

If he weren't busy chasing Yae, he would have loved to rush over, grab Leroy's shoulders, and interrogate her about what she had said to Elodie.

……

Yae, who was walking ahead of Qing Deng, was intentionally controlling her pace so that Qing Deng could keep up with her steadily.

Qingdeng felt like he was Alice, the protagonist of "Alice in Wonderland," who, after experiencing countless adventures and witnessing all sorts of wondrous sights, had finally reached the end—

"Sheng Qing, how are you? It's been so long!"

In an inconspicuous corner of the banquet, a tall woman dressed in light blue furisode clothing, with a beige belt and a veil covering her face, sat upright, her clothes perfectly in order.

Aoto's other senior in the new Oniwaban—the taciturn Sage—stood upright to the left of the woman.

Having completed his "guide mission," Yagokoro consciously stood to the right of the woman.

The two women resembled two guardian deities, firmly protecting the woman.

There's only one person in the world who would call Qingdeng "Shengqing".

Qingdeng sat cross-legged directly opposite the woman, a smile on his face.

"Your Highness, greetings. Just now, when the shrine maidens came forward to perform their dance, I was wondering if you would disguise yourself as one of them. After all, you are, in a sense, half a shrine maiden."

No sooner had Qing Deng finished speaking than Tian Zhangyuan responded irritably:

"How could that be!"

"You don't even know how many important people attended your wedding. Many of them recognized me."

"If I were to dress up as a shrine maiden and perform a dance for you, it would cause chaos throughout the world."

"And what do you mean by 'half a priestess'? I'm a professional priestess!"

"I studied very hard to play the role of Negi from 'Tsukimiya Shrine' well."

[Note: Negi: The third-in-command of the shrine. The ranks preceding him are 'Kyuji' and 'Gon-Kyuji'.]

“My ‘shrine maiden qualities’ are very high.”

"If I were to dance for you, I wouldn't lose to those young girls who just went on stage."

"If I have the chance in the future, I'll show you how to do it."